Film(s)

Splendora Agatha Cromwell also known as Agatha Cromwell,better known as AggieCromwell,is a character on the Disney Channel Original Movie series, Halloweentown. It is portrayed by Debbie Reynolds and by Sara Paxton (as a teenager).

In Return to Halloweentown, it was revealed that she was the Queen of Halloweentown and possessor of a powerful necklace known as the Gift which could be used to control people. However wanting to live like a normal witch and use her powers for good, she locked the Gift away and abdicated her throne which in turn ended the monarchy. It is also revealed that she prefers to be called "Agatha" or "Aggie" for short.

Contents

Appearance

Personality

She is a witch and resides in the city of Halloweentown until Gwen offers to let her move to the human world and live with them at the end of the Halloweentown. She agrees, but is having a very hard time not using her magic. In the first two movies, Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, she carries a bottomless carpetbag that magically strolls along next to her as she walks. In Halloweentown High, she tries to fit in by taking various teaching jobs at Marnie and Dylan's high school and falls for the principal. Splendora possessed great power, not only because she was a relative of the great wizard Merlin, but because she was a Cromwell, a naturally powerful witch, known to have possessed unique powers. She is very wise and knew quite alot about magic and witches and of course Halloweentown. Aggie is a friend to all, and doesn't harm anyone. She only uses her ancient, powerful magic when the situation demands it.

Background

During the Dark Times, 18-year-old Splendora Agatha Cromwell was the Princess of Halloweentown, who possessed an ancient power known as the Gift. It was a necklace that had great power to give the wearer complete control over any person, which was past down from mother to daughter in the Cromwell family since the time of it's creation, - but it could only be worn by a Cromwell witch. An evil battalion of dark warlocks and witches known as the Dominion, sought the Gift and wanted Splendora to use it to dominate Halloweentown. Wanting to live like a regular witch, Splendora placed the Gift in a chest and hid it under the ruins of Witch University, it is said that only her heir could unleash the Gift that's stored inside the box and use the power within it.

Story

On Halloween night, Aggie goes on her yearly visit to Earth, to see her daughter and grandchildren, as it is the only night the portal between Halloweentown and Earth is open. However, Aggie's grandchildren do not know of her true heritage or her magic. Aggie entertains her grandchildren with tales of Halloweentown, which they believe to be fictional.

However, after they are in bed, Aggie has a discussion with Gwen about Marnie. Having celebrated her thirteenth Halloween, Marnie must begin training immediately or her ability to perform magic would be lost. Aggie asks for Gwen and the children to come to Halloweentown with her. Aggie then reveals that strange events have been happening in Halloweentown, and that her real reason for coming is that she needs Gwen's assistance. Citizens have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances. However, Gwen refuses, preferring that her children live a normal human life. Unknown to either, Marnie had been eavesdropping, and immediately begins plotting with her siblings to follow Aggie to Halloweentown.

Aggie then returns to Halloweentown unaware of the children stowing away. Returning home, Agatha begins to prepare a witch's brew, with the goal of lighting a magical talisman that should fix the mysterious happenings in Halloweentown. During this time, Aggie's grandchildren arrive. Against her better judgment, Aggie decides to let them stay. When the witch's brew fails, due to being instant, Aggie takes the children into town to gather ingredients for a new batch. While there, Aggie takes Marnie to a broom shop and buys her a broom, teaching her the basics of performing magic. However, Gwen, having discovered her children's disappearance, arrives and prepares to take her children home.

Meanwhile, Luke, a young goblin, offers to take Agatha to an old theatre. Gwen and the children notice this and decide to follow her, sensing trouble. In the theatre, Aggie is confronted by a shadowy demon, who attempts to attack her. Aggie dodges easily, but when Gwen attempts to come to help and is hit, Agatha is distracted long enough to be stricken. Aggie quickly reveals to Marnie and her siblings that the spell will freeze them both, and orders them to flee.

While Aggie is frozen, Marnie and her siblings work to complete the Talisman. Stumped on what to do with it, Marnie remembers a statement of Aggie's and installs it in a jack-o-lantern in the center of town, despite the arrival of the shadow demon. The talisman reverses the freezing spell, and Aggie and Gwen arrive to learn that the shadow demon is none other than Kalabar, the mayor of Halloweentown. Aggie and Gwen attempt to work together to defeat Kalabar, but only the combine magic of the entire family is enough to defeat him.

Gwen and the children prepare to return to earth. However, Gwen reveals her intention to help train Marnie, and invites Aggie to live with them. Aggie happily accepts. Aggie and her family going on to the bus to the mortal world, with a happy goodbye and thanks with Luke as the bus driver, and blast off.

Aggie now lives on Earth with her daughter and grandchildren, helping to train them in magic. However, Gwen places certain restrictions on Aggie's ability to openly perform magic, and so she keeps her magical items in a hidden room in the house. On Halloween night, Aggie helps host a Halloween party for the neighborhood. During this time, Aggie's spellbook is stolen by a young man named Kal, who manipulates Marnie into revealing it.

After discovering the stolen book, Aggie and Marnie travel to Halloweentown to search for it, learning in the meantime that Kal is actually the son of the deceased Kalabar, and intends to avenge his father. Upon arriving in Halloweentown, the two discover that the town is under the effects of the Grey Spell, which turns the town into a black and white version of itself while its residents have been turned into boring human stereotypes. Aggie attempts to find the spare copy of her spell book, but after realizing that it is lost, she and Marnie travel to Gort, whose home contains all lost items in both worlds. While searching for it, Aggie falls under the Grey Spell's influence, and begins mindlessly sorting socks.

Aggie is later returned to normal by Marnie, who had discovered the reversal spell after traveling back in time. However, Marnie has returned too late to travel back to the mortal world to stop Kal, who plans to curse all humans to become monsters, as the portal between the worlds is only open on Halloween night until midnight. Aggie attempts to console her granddaughter by promising to train her to take on Kal over the next year. Instead, Marnie joins forces with her siblings to open the portal by force. Both Aggie and Marnie return to the mortal world, where Kal is defeated. With the ability to travel freely between the mortal world and Halloweentown, Aggie helps her family undo the Grey Spell's damage.

Three years after the previous film, Aggie assists Marnie in guiding a group of disguised Halloweentown citizens in integrating on earth. Marnie had asked Halloweentown's council to work towards openness between the worlds, but had mistakenly bet her family's magic that it could be done. In order to help, Aggie serves as a substitute teacher in the local school, but keeps having problems with using magic. She also begins a relationship with the school prinicpal, Phil Flanagan. Unknown to her, Flanagan is the last member of the Knights of the Iron Dagger, who historically persecuted creatures. Aggie helps Marnie in helping the disguised creatures adjust, but is troubled by attempts to attack/reveal them.

Eventually, Aggie and Marnie learn that one of the Halloweentown council, Edgar Dalloway, had incited the attacks to cause Marnie's project to fail and claim the Cromwell magic for himself. After the Halloweentown citizens are revealed during a carnival, Dalloway steals Marnie and Aggie's magic for himself. Luckily, however, Gwen arrives, having told the rest of the council the entire thing. The Cromwell Magic is returned and Dalloway is imprisoned. In addition, the town comes to accept the people of Halloweentown. Aggie's status as a witch is accepted by Flanagan, who renounces his membership as a Knight.

Powers and Abilities

As a witch, Aggie has the ability to perform magic, ranging from simple spells, to broom-flying, to potion-brewing. More specifically, witches and warlocks of the Cromwell line are among the strongest magic-users in Halloweentown. She is also a capable teacher, helping her grandchildren master their magical abilities. As a Cromwell, Aggie could potentially use the Gift to control other beings, though she never does. She is implied to be extremely long lived.

Relationships

Friends & Family

Quotes

"Your days of rule are at an end, Kalabar." - Aggie confronting Kalabar along with Gwen, Marnie, Dylan and Sophie

"I do have the talisman. And soon, your hold over the creatures of Halloweentown will be broken forever!" - Aggie confronting Kalabar (who's disguised as a shadow hooded demon) at the abandoned theater

Gallery

Trivia

The most likely reason Aggie was pressuring Gwen into training Marnie in witchcraft is likely due to the visit college-age Marnie paid to her in the Middle Ages to help thwart the Dominion.

In the first two films, Aggie had a magical bag that would follow her all by itself, and had the ability to produce whatever she wanted from it because it was linked at her house back in Halloweentown. In the third film, she uses a new one, made of reptile hide which turns into a reptilian monster on its own.

It is unknown if Cromwell was her maiden name, or if she is widowed, as she is referred to by others as Mrs. Cromwell in Halloweentown High.

She appears in all four of the Halloweentown films with actresses Debbie Reynoldsportraying her as an adult and Sara Paxton portraying her as a teenager.